


Froyo

by FriendLey



Series: Forever [1]
Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 02:38:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendLey/pseuds/FriendLey
Summary: Elizabeth and Henry go for a ride.





	Froyo

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Madam Secretary or any of its characters used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended and this story is not for profit

Henry glanced up the staircase, calling out, "Babe?"

"Yeah?" came the reply.

"We have to go if we want to beat the traffic!"

There was a series of soft thumping sounds and then his wife came into view, waddling her way backwards and slowly down the flight of stairs.

Henry marveled at the sight. Elizabeth was 9 months pregnant, due in two weeks now. Her stomach was so huge that in order to get down safely, she had to walk down the other way around so as not to tip her center of gravity.

Henry caught her as she reached the last step, her back to his chest. "You know you can always stay," he said softly in her ear.

"You tell me that  _after_  I've gotten down the flight of stairs?" she growled, turning around and gently shoving him away. "Besides, I can't. Stevie would never forgive me. She already thinks we're replacing her with  _this_  baby. What would she think if I stopped picking her up from school?"

Henry sighed. Elizabeth had a point.

"Alright. But you—"

"—stay in the car. I know the drill."

Henry kissed her temple and they both walked out to the driveway.

Once Elizabeth was seated and safely secured with a seatbelt, Henry drove them out of the neighborhood and into the direction of Stevie's school.

It was when they got out to the open road that Elizabeth hissed sharply.

Henry glanced back. "Babe, you okay?"

"Yeah," said Elizabeth, adjusting her position in the backseat. "Just Braxton Hicks contractions. Don't worry. I had them with Stevie. I can handle it."

Elizabeth was telling the truth. The fake labor contractions were uncomfortable more than they were painful, and the pain had tapered off now.

Henry worriedly glanced back again.

"Babe, I'm fine. I promise." Elizabeth drank the bottle of water she had with her knowing it helped.

She remembered her first pregnancy and rushing to the emergency room when she first felt any form of pain. The doctor had reassured her that Braxton Hicks were quite common in the third trimester. The pain eventually disappears and all one needed to do was walk it off, change positions, or drink water.

"Oh! We need to buy froyo," said Elizabeth by way of distracting her husband. "Stevie specifically asked that  _I_  buy it for her today. I think that's her way of making sure I pick her up."

"She's a sly one, our daughter," said Henry, turning around a corner to get said froyo.

"Yeah," chuckled Elizabeth. "Can you imagine what this one will be like?" She rubbed her tummy.

"If her kicks are any indication, she's gonna be one hell of a soccer player." There was a hint of pride in his voice but Elizabeth needed to make sure.

"You're okay with that right? That we're having another girl and not a boy?"

"Honey, how many times—"

"I know, I know!" She raised her hands in a defensive gesture. "You don't care what gender it is and I love you for it. But some men think they're okay with a family full of girls but then they start to live a life full of bows and dresses and makeup and they realize how wrong they were and they start to resent their wives—"

"—I can never resent you," interrupted Henry, looking at Elizabeth through the rear view mirror. "Or the bows. Or the frilly dresses and the makeup."

Elizabeth smiled sheepishly. "Okay."

"If you'll excuse me, I am going to run out and get some cold, pink, strawberry-blueberry frozen yogurt for our frilly, girly girl." Henry stopped the car in front of the store and he popped out.

He slid back in the driver's seat five minutes later, handed Elizabeth the froyo to hold, and then they were on their way.

Elizabeth studied her husband from the back seat, trying to see if what she was about to say would cause him to freak out. When she was satisfied with her observations, she said, "Henry?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to go to the hospital." She tried to make it sound casual, like how one would say they needed toilet paper for the house.

Henry's eyes flashed with concern as she thought it would, but thankfully he didn't panic like the last time when she gave birth to Stevie.

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm as he increased the acceleration. "I thought you said they were Braxton Hicks."

Elizabeth didn't answer and Henry couldn't risk looking away, not when he was speeding.

"Elizabeth, are you sure?" he asked again, his voice hard.

To his relief, she replied and she didn't sound distressed. "Yes. Braxtons are supposed to go away. This one came back."

"Maybe it's just another Braxton." Henry hoped it was just another Braxton.

"It feels different. Why are you being skeptical all of a sudden?" laughed Elizabeth, trying to alleviate the tension. "Weren't you the one who was all worried and convinced that they were real a while ago?"

"Damn it," Henry hit the edge of the wheel with his palm as the car slowed.

"What? What is it?" It was Elizabeth's turn to worry.

"We caught the afternoon traffic."

"You're kidding." Elizabeth leaned forward between the two front seats. Sure enough, the stoplight was red and they were stuck in an intersection amidst rows and rows of cars.

"We shouldn't have stopped for that froyo."

Elizabeth ignored him and took out her phone. After dialing 911 to send out an ambulance to watch out for their car, they finally began to move again albeit slowly. By that time, the atmosphere in the car had gone from calm to tense.

"Isn't your due date supposed to be two weeks from now?" asked Henry, his voice edgy.

"Your daughter is excited. You take it up with her when she's born," snapped Elizabeth as she tried to listen to the emergency dispatcher for further instructions and try not to groan from the pain.

She relayed to Henry what the dispatcher told her. "The ambulance is still 15 minutes out."

They were forced to stop again and Henry cursed.

"I don't have towels in the car!" Elizabeth said suddenly.

"Towels?" Henry twisted around to face her.

"He's telling me what to do in case I have to deliver  _here_!" Elizabeth cried, shaking the phone; the idea of giving birth in a car making her panic. "Henry, now's a really good time for you to tell me that I'm not going to give birth inside this car."

"You're—" his voice shook and he tried again. It came out a bit forced. "You're not."

Elizabeth frowned. "That wasn't very convincing."

Henry held her gaze and said, "The ambulance is minutes away. They will get you to the hospital and you will deliver a healthy baby girl."

She nodded but said, "What if I give birth in the ambulance? It's still a car."

"Better an ambulance than an SUV. At least they have towels."

They made little progress over the next 10 minutes and Henry was active in joining the symphony of car horns.

When a contraction had caught Elizabeth by surprise and she let out a whimper, Henry killed the ignition.

"Screw it!" He got out of the car and opened the back seat.

"What are you doing?" asked a bewildered and confused Elizabeth, phone still pressed to her ear and froyo in the other hand.

"Get out of the car. I'm carrying you to the hospital."

"Are you out of your mind?" cried Elizabeth. "I wasn't talking to you," she snapped to the operator. To Henry, she said, "I weigh like a whale!"

Henry sighed, his hands on his hips. "Elizabeth, now is not the time to be insecure."

"I'm not being insecure! I'm heavy and that's the truth! You'll collapse in exhaustion carrying me around—" she looked away to speak to the person on the phone again. "Yes! He's planning on carrying me there! I know it's dangerous! But he won't listen."

"Elizabeth! The hospital is three blocks away. I can manage."

"I'm listening to Mark," she pointed to her phone. "I'll wait for the ambulance."

"Elizabeth, the ambulance is most likely stuck in traffic too. Now, baby, you don't want to give birth in here and neither do I want that to happen. So, let me carry you to the hospital."

Her body chose that precise moment to send another contraction all throughout her body and Elizabeth gasped in pain.

"Okay. Mark can say whatever the hell he likes but you're my wife and I'm gonna do what's best for you and our unborn child." He scooped her up despite her protests, leaving their car in the road.

He rushed safely to the sidewalk where people stopped to stare at them. Elizabeth imagined how they must look: a pregnant woman clutching a cup of melting froyo in her hand and phone to her ear in the other, bobbing up and down in her husband's arms as he half ran, half walked.

All the while, Elizabeth updated Mark on their location.

They crossed one block. Two more to go.

Elizabeth looked up at Henry who didn't look to be tiring. It must be the adrenaline.

A man on the street saw them, dropped the package he was carrying, and rushed to assist them. "Hey, man. What can I do to help?"

Henry's eyes darted from the man to his motorcycle.

"My wife's in labor and we have to get to the hospital in this traffic."

Elizabeth followed his gaze. She smacked Henry on his chest. "I am not riding a motorcycle!"

"Elizabeth!"

She squirmed in his arms, wanting to be put down. "Mark! Henry, no!"

"Elizabeth, really? Now's not the time to—"

Henry broke off. He stood rooted in place as he felt his arms growing wet. Water was leaking from Elizabeth and dampening her leggings and his shirt.

"My water just broke," Elizabeth conveyed over the phone.

"Elizabeth, I really need you to sit down on that motorcycle. We'll go as carefully and slow as we can, baby. I promise it'll be safe."

Elizabeth hardly thought straddling or side-saddling a motorcycle was safe, not to mention healthy for the baby. And Mark only confirmed all of that.

She looked around, hoping to find some other form of faster transportation…like a wheelchair or a skateboard. Maybe, she can just sit down and Henry can drag her—

She heard it before she spotted it. The ambulance with its white colors and deafening siren had arrived.

Henry sagged slightly in relief and Elizabeth finally ended the emergency call.

The stranger hailed the ambulance for the both of them and the paramedics got Elizabeth inside.

There was no need for towels. They reached the hospital in time.

...

Resting against the pillows of her bed, Elizabeth cuddled the heavy wide-eyed bundle closer in her arms.

Henry wiped a cold, damp towel on her face. "I'm sorry I ever thought to put you in a motorcycle."

Elizabeth giggled and infant Alison took the time to gurgle a few sounds. "I think she forgives you."

Suddenly, Elizabeth stiffened. "Oh my god!"

"What?!"

"Stevie!"

"Shit!" Henry dropped the towel to the floor.

"She was afraid we were going to have another daughter and forget all about her! She was right!" Elizabeth raised a finger at her husband. "Don't you dare tell her we forgot all about her!"

With hands stuck in his pockets, Henry cringed. "I'm gonna have to find myself a ride first. I left the car!"


End file.
